Vital Leeds: What a Weekend!

When you think long term, Leeds are still sitting outside of the playoff positions courtesy of a dismal run of form.

However, in the short-term, what a weekend that was!

Firstly, to our good fellow football team across the Pennines, Manchester United. Sir Alex Ferguson’s men were (unfortunately for me to have to admit) the better side against ‘Arry’s men. However as the game wore on, it became increasingly clearer that it was not to be the Red Devil’s day.

Not even Ronaldo, after a slight nudge from a backtracking Distin, flailing himself to the ground was enough to convince Martin Atkinson that a penalty was required. Mr Atkinson wasn’t finished when it came to controversy however.

The most woeful of dives, one of which the aforementioned Portuguese winker would have been proud of, saw Portsmouth ‘earn’ a penalty as replacement goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak was adjudged to have hauled the Czech down. Sulley Muntari stepped up to fire the ball past Rio Ferdinand, who makes a rubbish goalkeeper.

Merked!

Naturally Sir Alex wasn’t prepared to take this defeat lightly, feeling the need to (as usual) blame something other than his own players for not overcoming Pompey:

“It's absolutely ridiculous. I cannot explain it.

Managers get sacked because of things like that and he's going to referee a game next week.”

If anyone in Yorkshire finds a spat out dummy. Please return it to the following address:

Sir Alex FergusonThe Pram, Old TraffordManchester.

*****

66 minutes into the FA Cup tie between our good friends Chelsea and Barnsley, Kayode Odejayi rose high above the Chelsea back line. The watching Tykes would be forgiven for not being particularly confident about a chance falling to a chap who hadn’t scored in the previous 28 matches and regularly is greeted with boo’s by the home fans.

A second or two later, the Barnsley fans will have been undoubtedly signing his name or at the very least, attempting to work out what song they could slip the easily pronounced “Odejavi” into a tune of some sort.

Odejavi’s single goal was enough to dump the second of the two remaining “big clubs” out of the FA Cup, a tournament that Dennis Wise clearly didn’t wish to have down to being an inconvenience with Hereford United the helpful team to ensure we didn’t trouble ourselves with a cup run.

This morning the radio the opinions have been from the sublime to the downright daft. There are even suggestions that Chelsea should now sack boss Avram Grant, and replace him with Jose ‘Special One (In his own mind)’ Mourinho.

Go and read some of the 220+ comments on Vital Chelsea about the game, they are a right giggle. It couldn’t have happened to a nicer bunch of people.

Apparently both Chelski and ManUre are in the Champions League still. Any reading fans (that have continued to read this first, without making some ill-thought-of comment) are referred to my long-term/short-term discussion oop top!

*****

Now to mighty Leeds, facing a club that are still a bit grumpy regarding a slightly over-zealous party as the Whites secured the Second Division title. As The Times Online said:

“Only Leeds fans could riot in Bournemouth, a sort of drop-in centre for terminal slipper-wearers”

Bleat on Bourne-Mouth, we just took all 3 points away from you. TinyT continued his evil match ratings, giving Kenton a 3/10 (don’t blame him on that one on account Kenton can be described by two words, ‘not great.’ Similarly poor scores went to KandolKone with a 2/10 and a 4/10 for Lubo the Lion.

Nice to get another win, that takes us to within a point of the playoffs. In the same weekend Manchester United crashed out and Sir Alex whinged, Chelsea crashed out and their fans whinged and the televised games on Sunday have proved to be great entertainment.